Rising Storm
by Hazelmallorn
Summary: Jason returns to Camp Jupiter after receiving an emergency Iris-message that his old home was in dire need of help. Camp Jupiter was being attacked by griffins, sent out by the fearsome Typhon. He expected to help defend his city from the attack. What he didn't expect was going on a quest to defeat Typhon–with Reyna. And he might just be falling in love...again.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Since today(Dec. 6) is my birthday, I decided to give you all a birthday present–a new Jeyna fanfic :) Enjoy! Cover image credits go to _alexandrabirchmore_ on deviantART**

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A faint drizzle of rain had begun to fall from the overhanging clouds. It foreshadowed the terrors to come, a great storm of the likeliness that this earth and all the intertwined worlds inside it had never before looked upon. The light raindrops tickled Jason's skin as he walked upon his old home again. It was a sight he had never seen before, and not a good one at that. Camp Jupiter lay in complete ruins, and even Terminus was too tired to even say a word. Griffins were attacking, and the legion, so strong and undefeatable in war, was having trouble defending the Via Principalis. Camp Half-Blood, when he had left, wasn't as bad as this. But they had so much less people, and who knew what was happening there now? Jason silently prayed that all his friends were still alive, Leo, Percy, Annabeth, and Piper. If Piper, his gorgeous girlfriend, died–he didn't know what he would do. Jason's thoughts suddenly veered to somewhere he didn't want to go. If Reyna died, he…

"Jason!" Hazel screamed, upon seeing him, dodging a griffin's claws. Perfect timing. Jason swallowed his guilt, temporarily forgetting about the thought previously on his mind. "Get here, quickly!" Jason hurried down, crushed at the devastation he was seeing. Even though Camp Half-Blood was probably even worse, there was something he had felt about the indomitable strength of Camp Jupiter and the power of the legion at war. It felt like nothing could ever defeat New Rome. Hazel pulled him aside, and Octavian and Reyna joined. Jason felt a small twinge at seeing Reyna again, a slight twist of the heart, a gentle tugging of the mind, and he didn't look into her eyes.

"We really need you right now," Hazel said, her voice full of urgency. He saw pain in her eyes. "There's a–" Octavian butted in.

"There's a prophecy." _Oh no, _Jason thought. _Not again_. Octavian began reciting.

"_Fulmina hostis infra terra–_"

"Octavian." Reyna cut him off. "English please, not Latin."

"Fine," Octavian muttered. "Whatever the hell you say."

"_Lightning's enemy under the earth_

_Shall once again reclaim and rebirth_

_War upon by dragon's breath_

_Once broken found through cage of death._"

"Lightning has to be you," Hazel said. "And your enemy…" Everyone paused, trying to guess which enemy could create such war and destruction.

"It could be Typhon," Reyna said musingly. Jason found it so difficult to meet her impenetrable gaze, ever so deep. He hadn't felt this awkward before, so why now? "He breathes dragon fire, and Jupiter once defeated him with lightning bolts."

"Great," Jason muttered. "So now Typhon has apparently risen from Tartarus and I'm supposed to defeat him by striking him with lightning bolts like my dad did once."

"He can't have fully risen," Reyna said, her voice sharp. "Or else we'd all be dead under his furious storm. So he must be only part way, and we have to stop him before he really rises. According to Percy, Camp Half-Blood is being attacked even worse than we are, and they can't afford to send out anyone else. It'll have to be us." She clipped off every single of her words.

"It's too dangerous to go alone," Hazel said. "You'd never succeed." She paused. "Someone needs to go with him." Silence followed.

"I'll go." Reyna finally said.

"No!" Hazel yelped, her eyes wide. "We need you here. We can't spare you. We're getting attacked more and more frequently, and we won't have anyone to manage the attacks! You're the praetor of the legion!"

"Actually, you can," Reyna replied evenly, staring into Jason's eyes the whole time. Somehow, he managed to hold her gaze. "I can be trusted to go on the quest, yet the legion can still manage fine without me. Besides, doesn't the third line say something about _war upon by dragon's breath_? I'm the daughter of war. It would be most appropriate if I went." Jason understood what Hazel meant. He had to go. The prophecy said something about "lightning's enemy" and lightning was obviously him. But Reyna…she was praetor of New Rome. Camp Jupiter couldn't really afford to send out any of their best fighters. But maybe the real reason he didn't want to go with Reyna was because of what he had done to her, because of how he treated her. Jason wished he could've maybe done something more, to avoid everything being so awkward now. But that may have interfered with him and Piper's relationship, and interference with his girlfriend was the last thing Jason wanted.

"Fine then," Hazel sighed, interrupting Jason's thoughts. "I'll have the centurions see over the battle, and we'll have a temporary leader until…until further notice." It was an acknowledged fact. The chances they would make it back alive were as slim as the tip of a blade. If it really was Typhon, as Reyna predicted, then the chances were smaller than ever. Almost as small as the Prophecy of Seven, and there were seven demigods that time. This time there were only two, himself and Reyna.

Wishing Piper was here to help him, Jason said to Reyna,

"We should leave as quickly as possible. Let's arrange how we should start this quest, and get moving." Reyna nodded, her face as expressionless as it had been since he returned.

Suddenly a griffin leaped out of nowhere, slamming Jason on the ground. He tried to reach for his sword, but he was crushed under the weight of the griffin's paw. Sharp claws pierced into his skin, drawing blood. Before Jason had any time to plan a way to escape, the griffin had dropped dead beside him. He stared in stunned shock at Reyna's figure looming above him. Her sword dangled by her side, held in one hand.

"Well, are you just going to lie there for the rest of your life?"

Blood rushed to Jason's cheeks. He scrambled up, feeling slightly embarrassed. He'd forgotten how intimidating and powerful Reyna could be.

Talking with Reyna made him nervous now. He'd gone off with Piper, leaving her alone. He still trusted her the entire time, even though she had been leading the attack on Camp Half-Blood. But he just didn't feel the same way about her than Piper. Piper was so pretty, so…perfect. He missed being beside her. She always made him feel like he was floating in the clouds on a sunny summer day, while Reyna gave him the sensation of being struck by lightning in the middle of a pouring thunderstorm. (Yet deep down in his heart, Jason wondered which he truly preferred.)

"According to the prophecy, our best guess is Typhon. We should probably find an entrance to the Underworld, or possibly even…Tartarus," Reyna stated as they entered her cabin, sitting down by her desk. "But the problem is…how are we supposed to get there? We could try the Door of Orpheus and go through the Underworld." Jason groaned, dropping his head into his hands.

"This is really going to be the hardest quest ever," he said. "I could probably call Tempest to get us there. But don't we need music to get in?"

"Yes, we do need music," Reyna said, sounding slightly exasperated. Her words held an air of finality. "There should be a way to do it. We'll figure something out." Jason had more doubts, but he didn't want to say anything. Obviously Reyna wasn't willing to talk about it.

"But what exactly are we supposed to do when we get there? And isn't it pretty much impossible that we're going to get there without any obstacles?"

"I believe so. Since when has there ever been a quest without obstacles along the way?"

"Is there any other way we could find an entrance to Tartarus?" Jason asked, slightly doubtful that they could make it into the Doors of Orpheus if he and Reyna went alone–without music, if whatever plan Reyna had didn't work. He didn't voice his doubts to Reyna however.

"Not unless you want to go to a cave called Aornum that's situated in Greece."

"Uh…let's try the door first. And if that doesn't succeed, we turn back for the cave in Greece."

"All right then." Reyna stood up. "Well," she said, looking at him disapprovingly. "You'd better get ready."

The rain had progressed from a drizzle to droplets by the time Jason had gotten ready. Walking out, he found Reyna at the stables, brushing out Scipio's mane and tail. He watched her slim, skilled fingers getting out the tangles, stroking Skippy's neck. Jason let out a silent sigh. Reyna was just as powerful as he last remembered her, if not more so. But this was the gentler side of her that so few ever saw. He watched as she gently kissed Skippy's head.

"Protect the legion," he heard her whisper. "Keep them safe, and don't let anything happen to them. I'll try to come back as quickly as I can." Jason bit his lip. They probably weren't coming back. Not wanting to call out to Reyna, and ruin the inexplicable perfection of the moment, he slowly walked forward, entwining his fingers into Skippy's silky mane.

Without looking up, Reyna said quietly, "Let's go."

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**Hope you liked the present :) Updates may be a little slower because of projects and tests and exams and such...:P But I'll try to get one out every two weeks or so. **

**CC is greatly appreciated and flames are welcome.**

**~Hazel(who is now one year older than she was one day ago :D)**

**P.S. Is anyone willing to be my partner at the tumblr Yule Ball? :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry the update was so long. But at least school's over now :D **

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Calling Tempest was easy. Telling him what to do and where to go was easy. Riding him was hard. It was all Reyna could do to stay on his back as he tore through the land at a pace she couldn't even calculate, trees and shrubs, rivers and lakes, all mixing together in a blur of green and blue and yellow. And the entire time, Reyna was clinging to Jason in a way she wished she didn't have to. Her heart broke when he left, even more so the second time, since it was completely by his own choice. And she could tell he wasn't even dedicated to this quest now. He just wanted to complete it so he could return to Piper and ensure her safety. It hurt Reyna so much, but she would never admit it, not in a thousand years when the constellations have changed in the sky and the earth exists no longer…

"Wait!" Reyna called. Jason yanked on Tempest's reins and he halted, stopping with a jerk. "Something doesn't feel right." She dismounted, looking around. The rain had stopped.

"Listen," Jason hissed, suddenly grabbing Reyna's hand. Reyna nearly jumped. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she listened intently.

_Stop flipping out whenever he looks at you,_ Reyna chastised herself. _He's just a boy._

Their surroundings were silent.

"What did you hear?"

"Well," Jason said awkwardly, "I thought there was a whirring sound. But it's gone now." He smiled rather sheepishly. "Should we get back on Tempest?" Reyna nodded. They mounted Tempest and kept riding. But something still didn't feel right.

Tempest suddenly bucked Jason and Reyna off. Reyna hit the ground hard, landing on her back and knocking the wind out of her. She heard Tempest neighing. Gulping for air, she looked up and saw him rise up on hind legs.

"Something's wrong," Jason gasped, trying to recover from the fall. Reyna clambered up, surveying the surroundings. Everything was shrouded in mist, and the clouds hung low in the sky. In one small corner of the sky she saw a flying figure, a bird, swooping closer and closer.

"Prepare for attack!" She called out, using Roman legion ways even though she was alone with Jason. They drew their swords out and stood in a ready stance for battle. Memories flashed through Reyna of the countless times they'd done this before. On their first quest, where, for the very first time, they had stood by each other and defended the other, not fought against. On quests after that, multiple times, every time. He had made her stronger, and she had done the same for him. And when they were fighting Krios. If they hadn't been fighting as one then, the entire legion would have been defeated. Reyna felt a slight rush of heat to her cheeks as she remembered what had almost happened after Krios had been defeated, and also the legionnaires thinking it really had happened. The teasing never ceased. In fact, it hadn't stopped until Jason left. After that, everyone was aware not to tease Reyna about it. Not when Jason wasn't there with her. A wave of bitterness filled her, bitterness and sadness at how kind and how…close Jason had once been.

Metallic birds flew down, their beaks clashing with Reyna's sword. Whirling around, she slashed and stabbed, but to no avail. More and more kept coming, and soon she'd be overwhelmed. Rain ran into her eyes and mixed with the blood from cuts on her arms as she tried in vain to fight off the birds, not even able to see exactly where her sword was swinging. Reyna felt a sharp pain and watched in horror as blood gushed down a deep gash on her sword arm. She bit her lip to fight back a scream, feeling dizzy, and faint. _Daughter of Bellona,_ she reminded herself._ A queen. _Staggering up, Reyna fought again, wondering if she was to make it out alive. And then Jason was there, fighting them off with her, like they had done so many times before. They fought as one, their movements paralleling the other, flashing swords rising up and down together.

"Get that one," he gasped, unable to catch his breath. He jerked his head toward the direction of the biggest bird, certainly the leader of the flock. While Jason continued to fight off the others, Reyna launched herself at the leader. In an equally matched one-on-one duel, they fought at an untrackable pace. The metal bird had the obvious advantage. The rain had no effect on them, while it blinded Reyna's vision and fell in such a way that droplets always landed in her eyes. It attacked again and again, Reyna only able to defend and nothing more. Jabbing pains tore through her arm every time she swung her sword. _Use your wits._ Reyna told herself, gritting her teeth against the pain. _Assess its weakness, avoid its strengths. It's not that smart. Trick it. _Reyna recalled all the times she had fought with Jason, and how she had won each time. All it took was a simple trick, and Jason was defeated. Now was the time to use her training. Defending for a while, Reyna contemplated how she would win this fight. It finally ended when Reyna, with a clever move she'd once used against Jason, that caused the opponent to think they'd won, got the upper hand at last and stabbed the metal bird with her imperial gold sword. It dropped to the ground with a thud and a clang. Turning around, Reyna saw Jason fending off the rest of the Stymphalian Birds. But upon seeing their leader fall, all the others left too, in a flurry of screeching and the sound of metal against metal.

Reyna gasped in pain, dropping her sword. Her arm was throbbing, and the rainwater running into the deep cut wasn't helping. Collapsing onto the ground, she ripped a piece of cloth from her sleeve, wincing from the pain, and began tying it onto her sliced arm.

"I have ambrosia," Jason offered, sitting down beside her. Digging through his pack, he pulled out a small square. "Here. Take this."

"Will we have enough?"

"We can manage," Jason said. "I'll wrap your arm for you."

Reyna hadn't had ambrosia since the day Circe's Island blew up, and it had tasted like the coconut drink her father had always made for her and Hylla when they were sick. But now it tasted different. It tasted like hot chocolate, warm hot chocolate with marshmallows, drank on a bitter cold winter night. The hot chocolate she had with Jason last Christmas. Swallowing her thoughts along with the ambrosia, Reyna clenched her teeth, trying not to cry out as Jason poured disinfectant on the cut.

"Stymphalian birds," he muttered, wrapping Reyna's arm. "The Argo II was attacked by them once, when we were trying to find the Mark of Athena."

"They're Ares's servants," Reyna said absentmindedly, trying not to think about what Jason had probably done for Piper when the Stymphalian birds attacked the Argo II. "Flesh-eating birds of metal. They were one of Hercules's Twelve Labors." Jason grimaced, nodding.

"Does that feel better?" he asked, finishing up. Reyna nodded.

"Thanks."

Jason's fingers gently brushed Reyna's arm as he completed tying the knot. Reyna felt cold shivers run down her back, leaving a warm, tingling feeling. _Calm down,_ she told herself. Jason would not be her greatest weakness on this quest.

"Well," said Jason with a crooked smile, "you'll want to look good to meet your mother, won't you?"

Reyna whipped around, startled. Her mother? Sure enough, Bellona was walking toward them. Scrambling up, Reyna bowed her head slightly.

"Mom. Why are you here?" A faint golden glow emanated from Bellona. She wore a royal purple gown, with gold armor. In one hand, she carried a torch, in the other, a sword.

"Typhon is rising from Tartarus." Bellona pointed at the clouds with her sword. They were an ominous gray, and the constant rain had stopped for a second. Everything was eerily calm, with nothing but a chilling breeze in the air. "His storm will come soon, and when it truly hits, no one will be able the avoid its fury. Mortals and demigods will die. The mortal humans may just call it a severe hurricane, a storm…possibly the end of the world. But we know better. You two must succeed, Reyna." Reyna nodded.

"We will," she replied, her voice resolute. Her mouth was a thin line, holding in so much more than she was saying.

Bellona looked at Reyna. "So beautiful. So strong. My daughter, you were born to succeed, born to rule, to be a _queen_. You and Hylla both, each in your different fashion. Hylla shone, dark-haired and fair, like any queen you'd expect. She fights well, rules well, and yet shimmers. You, my daughter, are different. Your sister's beauty radiates off her, while yours is hidden–but not lessened. In a way, Reyna, you are more beautiful than your sister. Except most, if not all, fail to see it. You do not shimmer, for you are solid. You know what you are meant to do. You know how to succeed in all that you do. And you would succeed on this quest too," Bellona paused for a moment, looking Reyna directly in the eyes. There was a burning fire in the dark irises, an intensity kindled. "but for the son of Jupiter standing by your side."

"What do you mean?" Reyna asked. Her voice came out as a whisper. She could feel her heart thudding inside her chest, the nervousness rising into her throat, and yet she didn't show it. She felt Jason's presence beside her, felt him tense. Reyna clenched her fists.

"What do you mean?" she asked again, her voice shaking.

Bellona only smiled, vanishing in a wisp of smoke.

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**I won't be here for a while since I'm leaving for winter break- but I'm bringing my laptop so I'll be writing more than usual, it's just the internet connection I'm worried about. **

**Reviews, CC, flames welcome.**

**~Hazel**


	3. Chapter 3

**I am a horrible horrible horrible person. I haven't updated in so long, and I didn't get any review replies either. FFN would rarely ever load in China, goddamnit. Worst. Vacation. Ever. But now I'm back and school's started so I'll start updating again. **

**This chapter's so short. That makes me feel even worse.**

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Jason felt sick. What did Bellona mean? He wasn't going to doom the world, he was going to save it! Reyna tapped him on the shoulder.

"It's going to be fine," she said. ""You're not going to cause the quest to fail, I'm sure."

"How?" Jason's voice came out as a strangled cry. If he didn't succeed, if it was his fault that the world perished, then what would happen to everyone? Would Reyna be the first to die? Would all his friends at Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood, including his girlfriend Piper, die because of him?

"It's a feeling," Reyna said, her voice soft and eyes distant, but unreadable. "I get these feelings sometimes." The expression on Reyna's face nagged him, but he pushed it to the back of his mind.

"We should go to Camp Half-Blood," Jason decided, his mind screaming. "If I'm going to ruin the world, then I may as well tell them."

A downpour had begun from the murky gray clouds as Jason and Reyna found Tempest again. Fog had materialized, casting a mysterious feeling to the surrounding bushes and trees. It was one of the many signs of Typhon rising. After riding for a while, Jason and Reyna stopped at the nearest hotel, a small little dilapidated building with only one floor and six rooms. Jason sensed that Tempest was tired, and needed a rest. It was easy to sign in, just a trick of the Mist. Plopping down on the bed, he stared at the TV remote. Reyna had gone out to scout for food in the pouring rain. Pushing the red button that Jason assumed was power on, he watched as the TV screen lit up.

"_WARNING WARNING: If you live in a costal area, or less than forty miles inland of one, please evacuate immediately. This is a government order. Evacuate immediately. All throughout the coasts worldwide, people are taking emergency evacuations to higher elevations and central areas. It appears that either multiple hurricanes have been brewing at once, or one indescribably huge storm is striking the entire earth. This type of monstrous storm has never been seen before, and could very likely wipe out all coastal regions up to twenty miles inland…_"

Jason angrily switched off the TV. He would not fail. Closing his eyes, he fell asleep.

Reyna had told Jason she was out scouting for food. What she really wanted was some time to clearly think out what they were doing, to contemplate her mother's words, and just to have some time away from him. His piercing blue eyes, the scar on his lip, his presence around her, they were all too distracting for Reyna to think right.

Letting the rain drench her skin, Reyna attempted to sort out the thoughts in her head. Jason wanted to go to Camp Half-Blood, and she didn't object. It was on the way, after all. He wanted to go there to say goodbye. To tell Percy, Annabeth, and Leo that he enjoyed working with them, but would end up destroying the world. To tell Piper that he loved her, and that he would try very very hard, but it had already been predicted that he would be the death of her. Reyna tasted bitterness in her mouth. Bitterness and betrayal. And yet still, she felt love.

Her mother had told her that she would succeed, if it weren't for Jason. He had interpreted it wrong. Jason had thought that it meant he would be the downfall of the quest, that they would fail to defeat Typhon because of him. But Reyna knew better. What Bellona truly meant was that Reyna would die because of Jason. That because of him, she wouldn't make it back alive. A dangerous bargain, whatever it was.

Reyna didn't want to go to Camp Half-Blood. It'd be great to see Percy and Annabeth again, to visit the place on friendly terms. But she didn't know if she could bear seeing Jason and Piper together. Her sadness increased with every passing hour. It had never quieted down, had only gotten worse.

Ducking into a dark alley, Reyna closed her eyes and let a single tear fall.

Reyna came back with food. Good food. Somehow, in the desolation they were living in, where the hotel was the only one in a radius of twenty miles either way, she had found a Chinese restaurant, and gotten takeout. She was soaked through, her clothes clinging to her skin and her hair dripping wet.

"Thanks," Jason said, grinning. "Sorry about making you go in the rain."

"Oh, it's fine." Somehow, standing there soaking wet with her hair dripping, Reyna looked so queen-like, so regal and beautiful. Jason pushed the thought to the back of his head. There was enough on his mind already.

After wolfing down the noodles, he opened a fortune cookie. Breaking it apart, he unfurled his fortune. It read: _Just in the nick of time is sometimes enough, but sometimes too late._

"I guess that means we're either going to make the quest just in time, or fail by the margin of a mere nanosecond," Jason grumbled miserably. Why was everything pointing red arrows at him failing at the quest?

Reyna took the other fortune cookie and crushed it in her hand.

_Your greatest weaknesses are also your greatest strengths, and vice versa._

"Better than mine."

"If only you knew," Reyna said with a sigh. In that moment, Jason saw into Reyna like he rarely ever did. Her pain and bitterness stabbed him in the heart like a freezing cold icicle, shocking him to what he had been missing all along. Taking her hand, he squeezed it gently.

"Maybe I do."

Arriving at Camp Half-Blood, Jason had no idea what to say. It lay in complete ruins. Griffins had attacked Camp Half-Blood even worse than they had Camp Jupiter. He silently hoped Piper was okay. She was a strong girl, but looking at the destruction…

"Jason!" Percy gasped, stumbling over to Jason and Reyna. "What's up man? You here to help?"

"Sorry bro," Jason grimaced. "Reyna and I are on a quest. This," Jason gestured at the pouring rain, the griffins attacking, "is all wrought from Typhon rising from Tartarus. We're on a quest to prevent him from fully rising." Percy nodded.

"You'd better succeed," Annabeth commented, overhearing the conversation.

"Jason!" It was Piper. Running over, she flung her arms around him, kissing him on the cheek, then on the lips. Then, seeing Reyna, her eyes widened slightly, filling with hurt. Jason shook his head ever so slightly, denying any relationship with Reyna. But was there doubt, in a place he did not yet know? _No. Now just shut up._

"Piper," he whispered, his voice strained. It was now or never. "I was told that I'd fail the quest."

"You won't." Her tone was resolute, so sure he wouldn't fail.

"Bellona told me. Or at least, she said it to Reyna but that's what she meant. Bellona's words to Reyna exactly were, 'you would succeed but for the son of lightning standing by your side.' She practically just assured that we would fail."

"You can't trust her," Piper said. Her voice was slightly prickly, jealous that Reyna had gotten to spend time with Jason, and not her.

"Pipes, if this is the last time I ever see you…"

"It won't be." She was so determined, so trusting and believing in his power, that she wouldn't accept the fact he could fail. Sighing, Jason kissed her gently, letting his hands run down her arms. It was a gentle kiss, a sweet kiss in the rain. Everything soft, but no spark. No spark of electricity shocking his heart. He loved the sweet, gentle kiss. But somewhere in the depths of his heart, Jason missed the sparks, the shock of electricity that set your entire body on fire and left you trembling, wanting more, but holding back for fear of being electrocuted.

"I don't know what's going to happen," he said hesitantly. Annabeth had a curious expression on her face, her eyes flitting between Piper and Reyna. Percy just stood there rather awkwardly. He capped Riptide, slapping Jason on the back. A griffin, seeing his weapon put away, immediately jumped on his back.

"No!" Annabeth screamed. She threw her dagger, which embedded itself deep into the griffin's chest. The monster disintegrated into dust. "You idiot," she said, helping Percy up and kissing him.

"Thanks for saving me, Wise Girl." Jason sighed inwardly. They had such a great relationship. Annabeth meant everything to Percy, and Percy meant everything to Annabeth. Sure, Piper was great. But sometimes it seemed like she got jealous of every single moment he spent with another girl.

"Tell Leo I said 'hi'," he said. "And…if we don't succeed, tell Hazel and Frank that I'm sorry." Percy nodded grimly.

"For the sakes of both worlds, I hope you do."

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**Eh, flames welcome. I don't really like this one. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Forums drive me crazy. Way too slow update again. It's also way too short. Ugh, where did the summer days go?! **

**Anyhow, I hate the ending but when I try to change it, I can't think of anything else. I liked this chapter better than the last though.**

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Reyna was bucked off. Again.

"Damn that horse!" she said angrily, brushing herself off.

"Sorry," Jason muttered sheepishly, while Tempest glared at Reyna, then angrily kicked Jason in a very painful spot. "Ow!" he yelped. "Tempest! Did you really have to do that?" Reyna was laughing, the first time she had done so like that since…since the day before Jason left.

"What's wrong with Tempest now?" Reyna asked, her voice challenging, but containing a laugh.

"He says that we're lazy butts and need to move our own ass instead of having him carry us." Smiling, Reyna said,

"Well, then let's go."

The rain was pouring hard, a never pausing stream of rain. Wind swirled around the trees, threatening to grow into full out blizzards. In the far distance, a single boom of thunder sounded. While the mortal world still claimed a 'great storm', all the demigods knew that it was Typhon rising.

Reyna stopped suddenly.

"Is everything okay?" Jason asked. Reyna didn't answer. She couldn't answer. For standing in the middle of Central Park, was a beautiful lady. Her lush auburn curls swirled around in the air, somehow managing to stay in utter perfection despite the wind. Her dress was a pale peach, clinging to her skin. She stood unfazed by the wind and rain, completely dry under an umbrella. Reyna bit her lip. _Venus_. Just as her name entered Reyna's head, Venus turned around. Reyna hated her. Hated the perfection of her face, the sound of her voice, and most of all, what her arrival meant.

"Reyna." Venus spoke. Her melodious voice had no effect on Reyna. She had learned that from Circe long ago. "I must speak to you alone." Reyna stood up even straighter.

"No."

"Oh, dear Reyna." Her perfect red lips arched into a smile. "Why not so? Do you not want to leave _him_ out in the rain alone? Afraid something's going to happen to him? Come, talk with me."

"You aren't my mother and you can't tell me what to do," Reyna stated, quite simply. Her eyes held a challenging spark. But Venus merely laughed.

"I may not be your mother, but I am the mother of the girl whom I believe you are quite jealous of." Reyna smiled. A dangerous smile.

"I believe you are mistaken." Her voice was icy cold, even colder than the rain drenching their skin. "Tell me, why would I be jealous of a girl with no powers other than a witchy voice? I have been to Circe's Island. I know those voices that ensnare everyone. The same voice took my sister away. The same type of person. A pretty face, with charmspeak in their voice. So why then, would I be jealous?" Venus's perfect face twisted for a second.

"You insolent girl," she said, recovering smoothly. "You will never understand love."

"I understand it more than your own daughter." Turning around, Reyna walked past Venus.

"Reyna! She's going to hate you forever!" Jason's voice was covered in shock.

"I don't care," was all Reyna said, leaving Jason to stare after her in awe.

By the time Jason and Reyna arrived at the Doors of Orpheus, they were completely soaked through with water running in their eyes, and chilled to the bone. And to make matters even worse, standing right in front of the Doors, blocking the way, was Echidna. Mother of all monsters, wife of Typhon. Great.

_"A son of Jupiter and a daughter of Bellona…" _Her voice was melodious, soft and light. And yet, in the depths of it, there lurked something of great evil, as deep as the pits of Tartarus. _"I know what you seek to do. And oh so slim are your chances. Ever so slim…You seek to destroy my husband, like those Greeks did once." _

"Don't you dare talk about them," Jason snarled, pulling out his sword. Echidna only laughed.

_"Jason Grace. People call you their saving grace. People like the Greek girl, whom you think you love, and the one standing next to you, whom you once did love." _Reyna clenched her teeth, holding it together. It was already a painful truth, and she didn't needed to be reminded of it. Reyna wanted to hurl herself at Echidna, and squeeze her throat. Jason looked at her for a second, pain filling his eyes. _"Oh yes, daughter of Bellona,"_ Echidna continued, looking at Reyna now, her eyes so dark, and dangerous._ "Mighty queen Reyna. I know where your weaknesses lie." _

"Shut up," Reyna hissed. "Before I cut your throat and send you to Tartarus." Echidna smiled. It was a beautiful and terrifying smile, all too knowing.

_"Sending me to Tartarus would do nothing, although your intentions are brave, warrior queen. You're better than him, you know. Pity. He will be your downfall on this quest." _

Jason lunged.

"No!" Reyna screamed. "Jason, stop, it's no use!" His sword stabbed Echidna's body, going straight into where her heart should be. A final, evil and bone-chilling laugh was heard as she disintegrated into dust, swept away by the circling wind.

"I. Don't. Care." Jason took a huge breath. "She said it again!" he exploded. "She said it again that I would be the downfall of this quest! The same thing Bellona said! Do you believe me now?"

"You don't know what she means," said Reyna quietly, turning away. "You have no idea."

"Damn you Reyna, can't you just understand?" But she did. She knew better than him. Echidna had talked to her. Bellona had spoken to her. Jason would be _her_ downfall, not the downfall of the quest. The chances they would succeed were already so slim. Now, the chances she would make it back alive were gone. _I know where your weaknesses lie._ It was _him_. Jason. She had too many feelings for him.

"I guess it's time we entered the Underworld," she said, a while later, to Jason, after he had calmed down slightly.

"Reyna." She turned around.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry about my outburst. It was just…"

"It's fine." Jason groaned, standing up.

"No. It's not fine. Maybe you're right, and I don't know what it really means. But whatever it is, whatever Bellona and Echidna are saying, it's not good. Especially if a monster and a goddess are both saying it. And…and even if I don't fail the quest, I don't want to fail you either. I don't want to fail my best friend." Reyna closed her eyes for a slight second. Jason hadn't said anything like that since…since he came back with Piper. _I don't want to fail you. I don't want to fail my best friend. _He didn't love her. Not anymore. This was the closest they'd been to each other so far.

"We'll get through this. And someday, we will return." Jason nodded, reaching out to take Reyna's hand. A spark of electricity sizzled through her, and she remembered all the other times he had taken her hand. Every single spark. And she remembered the one spark that couldn't even be called a spark. It was a full strike of lightning, setting her entire body on fire, leaving her wanting more in a way she'd never known and would never admit.

"Reyna?"

"Yes?" She looked at Jason, and saw an odd expression on his face.

"Echidna didn't lie."

Reyna turned around, letting go of Jason's hand. _I know._ The words not uttered, the words not said. _The girl you once did love._

"So," said Jason, after a minute pause. "What was your great plan that could get us into here?" The doors were shut, closed tight. Only music could open them.

"I…" Reyna swallowed. She was glad for a change of subject, but felt suddenly awkward. Reyna remembered when she was five, and Hylla was sick. She remembered when she was nine, and her father had hugged her, whispering in her ear. Yet after that, she had never done it again, never again since her father left. And now, kneeling down beside the doors, Reyna sang. She sang of lives abandoned, of magic and war, and slowly, ever so slowly, the doors creaked open. Turning around, she saw Jason standing there, his mouth hanging open and staring at her in shock. It was another painful secret, one of the few she'd kept from him. Her voice had haunted her father, been the reason he'd left. The first one to abandon Reyna in her life.

With Jason still staring at her open-mouthed, Reyna smiled the slightest of smiles, turned around, and entered the Underworld.

* * *

**Yep. Go ahead and flame the ending. It's okay.**

**(Other than that I actually liked this chapter)**

**~Hazel**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: How long has it been since I've updated? Yeah...like forever...**

**I'm so so sorry :( But it's summer now and I've got much less things to do, so I may as well finish this story. I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

Jason was still reeling from the revelations after they'd made it through the tunnel. _Reyna could sing. Really well. _He'd never even known that. But perhaps no one did._ She loved him. He'd once loved her. _None of it was a lie. No matter what the gods and goddesses did, they never lied. Which meant…he thought he loved Piper. Did he? Jason asked himself that question over and over. _Yes. Of course. Completely. Obviously. Duh. Yeah. Sure. Uh huh. Ye-ah… _By the end, he was questioning himself even more than before. No use. He'd come back to that. But the problem was, Jason couldn't come back to that. It was always in his head, always lingering there, what he truly felt for Reyna and Piper, and what he really wanted. The spark or the caress. Maybe this quest was his turn to figure out…if he even made it out.

"Uh oh," Jason stopped short.

"That's right, smart one." Reyna hissed sarcastically, evidently annoyed with him. Pluto stood in front of them, his menacing figure looking down upon Jason and Reyna.

"I just love it when everyone's so scared of me." Pluto smiled smugly. "Makes life all the easier."

"What's the point you're trying to make?" Jason asked impatiently, tapping his foot. Pluto turned to look directly at him, his bitch black eyes bearing onto Jason's soul. Jason refused to be intimidated by his stare. Raising his head up ever so slightly, he stared right back.

"Son of Jupiter," Pluto snarled. "My brother's son." Pluto spat out the word brother. "Him and Neptune, thinking they're all that great, ruling the skies and the seas, and sitting on their high seats of Olympus, leaving me to rule this rotting world of death."

"I thought that was what you liked," Jason retorted.

"It's true. But soon, once Typhon rises, I will rule all the worlds, skies and seas alike. I, Pluto, will be the king of the all the gods!"

"Typhon's never going to rise," Reyna said, her voice calm as ever. It seemed like nothing could penetrate her ever-calm demeanor. "We're going to defeat him before he succeeds." Pluto turned to Reyna.

"Daughter of Bellona. Do you really think that you will succeed? You, and that bratty, arrogant boy? No, no. Before you can even get to Typhon, you will have to face me!" Pluto reached out a hand, grabbing Reyna firmly. And for what may have been the first time, Jason saw true fear in her eyes.

"GET YOUR DIRTY HANDS OFF OF HER!" he roared, suddenly infuriated that Pluto had even dared to think about touching Reyna. Not letting go, Pluto swiveled around, turning a curious eye on Jason.

"Interesting."

"I said, get your dirty hands off of her!" Jason's voice held a clear warning. _If you don't do as I say, I'll attack._ His eyes met Reyna's. She shook her head just the slightest bit. _It's no use._ Jason shook his head back.

_I have to try._

He did have to try. There was a terrible sinking feeling in Jason's heart. This was what Bellona and Echidna were talking about, weren't they. He would fail the quest. Because without Reyna, he couldn't succeed. And if he didn't try to save her, it was a dead deal anyway.

Jason lunged.

And found himself dangling upside down, about twenty feet up.

"Maybe I should just take both of you," Pluto mused. "But I truly want the enjoyment of taking one, and seeing what the other does. Your quest requires each other, do you realize? Without one, the other is guaranteed to fail."

The smile on Pluto's face sent shivers down Jason's spine. "I'd like to see a futile attempt to continue while the other is lost…"

Reyna's face was a mask of fury. Jason had rarely seen her so angry, and he couldn't help but smile slightly at what may just happen to Pluto, despite the dire situation they were in. "Now, the question is, which should I take?" _Please don't let him take Reyna,_ Jason silently begged, not daring to look directly into the deep, dark eyes of the god for fear that he would read Jason's thoughts. Opposite of him, Reyna was thinking the exact same thing about him. Pluto's eye swiveled to Reyna. _Damn it,_ Jason thought. But then it turned back to Jason…and stayed there.

"Such revenge," Hades murmured. "It would be such good revenge to take one of Jupiter's strongest sons." And in the moment Pluto said that, Jason plummeted to the ground.

There was a terrible scream, rising above all else. Jason attempted to turn around midair, and suddenly felt a sharp pain in his tailbone. Of course he had to break it. A few feet away, he saw Reyna. Her glossy black hair had come out of its braid slightly, hanging loose about her shoulders. But there was a triumphant look on her face that let you know she was a practiced fighter, a winner. Looking up, Jason saw Reyna's knife embedded in Pluto's eye.

_"Let's go,"_ he mouthed. Reyna nodded, understanding. Silently, they crept away.

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?" Pluto roared. "GET BACK HERE YOU TWO. I WILL GET MY REVENGE!" Jason and Reyna turned to look at each other in the exact same moment. Their eyes read identically. _Run. _They bolted, but there was no place to run, no place where they could escape the wrath of Pluto. They were in his realm, after all. They were stuck in the Underworld.

"I can still see you!" Pluto screamed. "I still have one good eye."

"And I still have one good knife," Reyna muttered, unsheathing her second and final blade of the pair. Lifting it up, she poised. Jason wished he could capture that image forever. Reyna, her mouth set and eyes determined, holding a knife of imperial gold, poised to throw. She was so beautiful, so powerful. Jason couldn't help but think of Piper, in that moment. They were so similar but so different, the two girls he was closest to. Both were beautiful and both were powerful, yet each in her own way. While Piper was so stunningly pretty, as a daughter of Venus, Reyna was beautiful in a different way. In a strong, Roman, warrior queen way. And that she was, as with one calculated throw, her second and final knife embedded its point into Pluto's other eye.

He screamed even louder than last time, a feat Jason hadn't thought was possible. Whirling around aimlessly, sniffing the air for their scent as a final resort, Pluto attempted to search for Jason and Reyna while he was blind. Jason turned around, grabbing Reyna's hand.

"You. Are. Freaking. Amazing," he said, clearly enunciating every single word. And together they ran, to the entrance of Tartarus. Dog barking erupted behind them.

"Hurry," Reyna yelled. Jason and Reyna raced as fast as they could to Tartarus, with the sound getting louder and louder by each second. A dark, foggy air swirled around them. They had no choice but to enter. Immediately the barking diminished.

The pit was, in every essence, a black hole. Jason felt a charismatic tugging, a pulling and a compelling, to go just that slightest step closer. He could tell that Reyna did too. Her eyes were more strained than usual. Churning above the bottom was a tornado, containing every single storm known to man. Jason's grip on Reyna's hand tightened involuntarily.

"We can do this," she shouted to him over the storm. Jason nodded, and he knew she saw. Pulling her in, he wrapped his arms around her. She stiffened, and Jason was about to let go, thinking he did something wrong. But then Reyna relaxed. Her body curved into his, like they were always meant to hold each other in this way. Taking a deep breath, he smelled the scent of Reyna's hair above all that was rotting inside Tartarus. He felt that familiar spark he'd been missing for so long. This could very likely-and probably was- the last time he and Reyna fought together, the last time they held hands, the last time they stood by one another's side.

"No matter what happens," he whispered, his lips lightly touching her ear, "just know that I love fighting beside you, and you are the best partner I've ever had."


End file.
